 Our CommunitiesIt's the people who make KHC special. There is a small town community feel everywhere that is friendly, welcoming and entirely authentic. Many people pass right through the area thinking that the strip along the Trans Canada highway is all that there is to offer. Nothing could be further from the truth. There are several distinct communities in KHC, with a rich cultural history behind each one. Golden is the only community incorporated, having a mayor and council, while the others remain enclaves of families, many with roots spanning generations in the area. Town of Golden - www.town.golden.bc.ca Golden is the heart of KHC, home to over 4000 people. Follow the signs to downtown and you will discover great shops, restaurants and cafes to fit all pockets and palates. Across the Kicking Horse River in downtown, discover Canada's longest single span timber frame pedestrian bridge, a testament to community volunteerism, international cooperation, and lasting beauty in design and structure. Parking is plentiful, there are wonderful bed and breakfasts and other accommodations and the centrally located British Columbia Visitors Centre at Golden staff are ready to help you plan your stay. On top of all this the locals are friendly and welcoming - so come on down! Donald First crossing of the Columbia River, on the mainline of the CPR, 17 kilometres from Golden. This small community was originally established in the early 1880's by CPR during the building of the transcontinental railway. As the rail-head was moved along, new communities were established to give the workers a place to stay, to purchase necessary items and to collect their mail. Once the Divisional headquarters was moved from Donald to Revelstoke in 1896, the community very nearly became a ghost town. However, something has always attracted a few hearty souls to live there and in the late 1960's Selkirk Spruce Mills established a sawmill at Donald. Once again a small community sprang up to provide homes, a school, post office, store and restaurant for the workers and their families. The community remained solid until the early 1980's when once again we began to see it fade. In 1996 the sawmill was permanently closed leaving the few families who were left with little reason to stay. Today Donald is once again a community of a few hardy souls who turn to the community of Golden for their supplies. Top Field Field lies just 29 kilometres from the western boundary of Yoho National Park and just off the Trans Canada Highway. For a time it was a very important railway town but as with the many towns as the rail moved on so did the town. Field was also a very important mining town but eventually the mines were closed and the miners moved away. Today, Field's population is stable at about 250 residents. They have several lodges and motel units who play host to mountain climbers, hikers, cross-country skiers, ice-climbing enthusiasts, etc. Field is located close to Emerald Lake, Takakaw Falls and the Natural Bridge. Top Moberly So-named by CPR because of the station's proximity to the 1871-72 winter camp of Walter Moberly, chief engineer CPR surveys. Moberly has always been an area rather than a community, although at one time it did boast a store and post-office. Top Parson The name was taken from the H.G. Parson family who came to the district in the late 1880's. H.G. established a store in Golden and was soon looking to expand his horizons, so he purchased the tract of land 23 miles south of Golden formerly known as Hog Ranch and set about turning it into a profitable business. With the mines opening up across the river it wasn't long until a store was needed, followed by a post office, school and community hall. It was also the centre for a great deal of logging. Until the building of the Alton mill at Parson, all of the wood cut in the upper valley was sent in large river drives down to Golden where it was processed by the Columbia River Lumber Co. Today many of the citizens of Parson are employed in the logging industry, but we are seeing a number of jobs now being opened up in the tourism industry. The school closed a couple of years ago but there is still a strong community in Parson. Top Nicholson Like most people who came to the area Nicholson took its name from a family who homesteaded there. Dan Nicholson arrived in Golden on November 10, 1893 and was taken immediately to his homestead. The area was quite appealing to many settlers because of its proximity to Golden. Over the years it has grown to its present proportions of approximately 500 people. They have a very active school, fire hall, store and rural postal delivery. This area also encompasses the small area known as Habart, with all of the children in Habart walking to the school in Nicholson. Top Castledale Castledale is a small community south of Parson, B.C. It's history goes back to the times when the stage coaches ran. The mines in the area were very active and a small settlement sprung up. The first post office in the area opened in 1907. Today Castledale is home to approximately 15 families. Top |
Golden Area Initiatives
111 Golden Donald Upper Road, Box 20190, Golden, BC, V0A 1H0
Phone 250.344.2420 Email: edo@goldenbritishcolumbia.com